Braking is good, it just doesn’t have the initial bite that the GS (and Brembos in general) have. You have to get used to it. The thing is ‘Das Boot’
Switching from a Gs
- Thread starter shotcrete
- Start date
Of course, I can only talk from my perspective, 5 months or so now with my FE "pure".... fast'ish hills riding.... think 50 or 60 mph zoned roads with lots of corners posted at 20 to 40mph (my world is kph so I have change to mph).... generally I will exceed the 50 or 60mph by up to 25mph between corners where I think I am safe (ie no cops).... so.... maybe exit a 30mph corner at 40 or so.... 4th gear at a bit over 2,000rpm and roll onto 4,000 rpm and brake for next corner type thing... maybe 3rd gear if tighter corners.... the torque is fab for this.
I am running a +20 wilbers rear shock which seems to give me a bit more ground clearence.... I don't have any real clearance issues. Handling is quite amazing.... though, at real slow speed.... think U turn or shoping carpark then it is a heavy long wheel base bike... no getting away from that.
As far as braking goes, I find them good "plus", with no issues for this type of riding. On my bike, the front brake lever has a solid feel.... and once the intial lever travel is taken up, it responds well to firm lever pressure..... not lever travel so much (some seem to get confused over this and pass harsh judgement on the brakes.... think youtube reviewers). Lots of power and grip available brake wise. When full on crazy braking I like to give the front a quick single pump.... most bikes respond well to this... effectively gets the pads onto the disk.
For some reason the 18 draws me into full on crazy at times..... only answer to "why is that so" .... is I must of been a fighter pilot in a past life.... shudering airframe and big raw engine under load type visceral stuff.... must have been WW1.... as I need air in my face.....
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Scott Semone
Well-known member
At 0% APR financing, why are you on the fence.. JUST PULL TRIGGER..!! The R18 B has less storage space than your GSA, but how much space do you really need... and you won't be whaling down any gravel or sandy trails on your new R18 B.. You'll get music, a huge Navigation TFT, wind protection, Adaptive Cruise Control, a low center of gravity and overall comfortable riding geometry.
shotcrete
New member
Ha ha, I’m looking for a used one, there’s a couple within 200-300 miles from me. They have low mileage and a price to match. Plus I have to do something with my driveway just to get it home.
Scott Semone
Well-known member
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Scott Semone
Well-known member
The forum folks have voted on Blue & New vs Used...
It's a timely thing for this thread to pop up, as I have had my 2022 R18B for a few weeks now and I am having difficulty in framing up my satisfaction with the bike in comparison to my other primary bike, my 2020 R1250GSA.
I have had GS bikes for the past decade and have ridden them all over the Southwest as well as renting them for trips from Portland to Alaska, and just recently a two-week trip touring much of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The GS bikes are really a good all-arounder, and I thought it would be a nice addition to the stable to add an R18B now that they are getting discounted by so much. I bought mine out of Las Vegas and while that was a slight disaster with that dealership, I am working to try to frame up my experiences with my R18B as not a comparison to my GSA, but as a comparison to the R18B's main competitors.
I have the luxury of having a good friend who is the GM of a large Harley dealership here in Phoenix and like most HD dealers he is happy to give you the ability to do fairly lengthy test rides of nearly everything. For years, I have gone out once a year and have taken an hour-long ride on either a Street Glide with him coming along on another bike, or on a Road Glide. After doing this for a number of times and also after renting a few Street Glides I was happy to see BMW come out with an equivalent bike, as I have always felt that the HD counterparts are really needlessly heavy and have serious deficiencies when it comes to braking and handling, in comparison to what I am used to riding.
So, long story short I decided to make a deal on my 2022 R18B as it was being sold as "used but with remaining warranty with 2 miles on it" and flew to Vegas on a pretty hot day to ride it back to Phoenix. First off, the shifter and the brake pedal were way out of adjustment and that has a ton to do with how the bike feels and how you connect to it. Secondly, there's the case of wind noise and buffeting which we all have to figure out on our own, as that is a very personal preference when it comes to windshields, deflectors and seat height. The R18 platform is still in its' infancy so at this point, there are only a few options that you can choose from.
When I got the bike home, I decided to make those adjustments as well as install a temporary windscreen deflector that I bought from Amazon to see if I could make a bit more peace with the bike. I also started to dig into the aftermarket to find a few things to feel a bit more at home than I did on the ride home. The big upsides to the bike are the vastly better TFT integration into your cell phone and headset vs the GS/A platform, so that is a big plus for the bike. As I have made those adjustments, done my own 600-mile service and adjusted the valves, and played with a few more things, the bike has started to endear itself to me a bit more.
I think that in time I will enjoy the bike more, especially when I frame it in a different light to my GSA. The GSA has a ton more suspension travel, much better braking characteristics and a ton more power, mostly because of the power to weight ratio but also as the GSA has a 40 horsepower difference. I think that the more apt comparison here is to the Street Glide and Road Glide platforms, and to that I think that you can make a better case for the R18 platform. It will be more difficult to find aftermarket parts for it, but in the end I think the build quality and material quality and engineering that went into the BMW is far better than the HD equivalent.
Those are my two cents, for what they are worth. I am going to stick with it and see if I can solve a few issues and just enjoy it in the frame of reference that suits it.
-Paul
I have had GS bikes for the past decade and have ridden them all over the Southwest as well as renting them for trips from Portland to Alaska, and just recently a two-week trip touring much of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The GS bikes are really a good all-arounder, and I thought it would be a nice addition to the stable to add an R18B now that they are getting discounted by so much. I bought mine out of Las Vegas and while that was a slight disaster with that dealership, I am working to try to frame up my experiences with my R18B as not a comparison to my GSA, but as a comparison to the R18B's main competitors.
I have the luxury of having a good friend who is the GM of a large Harley dealership here in Phoenix and like most HD dealers he is happy to give you the ability to do fairly lengthy test rides of nearly everything. For years, I have gone out once a year and have taken an hour-long ride on either a Street Glide with him coming along on another bike, or on a Road Glide. After doing this for a number of times and also after renting a few Street Glides I was happy to see BMW come out with an equivalent bike, as I have always felt that the HD counterparts are really needlessly heavy and have serious deficiencies when it comes to braking and handling, in comparison to what I am used to riding.
So, long story short I decided to make a deal on my 2022 R18B as it was being sold as "used but with remaining warranty with 2 miles on it" and flew to Vegas on a pretty hot day to ride it back to Phoenix. First off, the shifter and the brake pedal were way out of adjustment and that has a ton to do with how the bike feels and how you connect to it. Secondly, there's the case of wind noise and buffeting which we all have to figure out on our own, as that is a very personal preference when it comes to windshields, deflectors and seat height. The R18 platform is still in its' infancy so at this point, there are only a few options that you can choose from.
When I got the bike home, I decided to make those adjustments as well as install a temporary windscreen deflector that I bought from Amazon to see if I could make a bit more peace with the bike. I also started to dig into the aftermarket to find a few things to feel a bit more at home than I did on the ride home. The big upsides to the bike are the vastly better TFT integration into your cell phone and headset vs the GS/A platform, so that is a big plus for the bike. As I have made those adjustments, done my own 600-mile service and adjusted the valves, and played with a few more things, the bike has started to endear itself to me a bit more.
I think that in time I will enjoy the bike more, especially when I frame it in a different light to my GSA. The GSA has a ton more suspension travel, much better braking characteristics and a ton more power, mostly because of the power to weight ratio but also as the GSA has a 40 horsepower difference. I think that the more apt comparison here is to the Street Glide and Road Glide platforms, and to that I think that you can make a better case for the R18 platform. It will be more difficult to find aftermarket parts for it, but in the end I think the build quality and material quality and engineering that went into the BMW is far better than the HD equivalent.
Those are my two cents, for what they are worth. I am going to stick with it and see if I can solve a few issues and just enjoy it in the frame of reference that suits it.
-Paul
anglojaxon
New member
My wife grunts and groans getting off or on. Rather athletic yet still complains about it. She makes it way more difficult than it has to be. She'd prefer my RE Interceptor 650 and apparently I've been banned from selling it or giving it to my son.
Every time I think about selling the GS I can't bring myself to do it. It doesn't help that I continue to ride it. That always changes my mind.
If you have the space in your garage then keep it.
I regret selling my M109R because I did not have room for 2 bikes.
A good friend of mine has a GS1250, he’s on his 4th now and has had them back to back for a good 20 years now. I don’t think you can compare them really, other than being the same brand. The GS is a world wide success for a reason, the R18 platform is much more niche. I could have bought a GS many times over but it doesn’t speak to me, I have no desire to own one (have ridden earlier versions, nice bikes). The R18 feels special to me and that’s the reason I bought it. It’s no all rounder, don’t want it to be.
Scott Semone
Well-known member
I jumped from a 2008 R1200 GSA to a R18 B...
I haven't really looked back until I read this thread, it was a great bike; however, I wanted something more along the lines of a HD Street or Road Glide.. flat feet on the ground, music, navigation, wind protection, headed seat, grips and adaptive cruise control...
Not regrets.. still love the R18 B
I haven't really looked back until I read this thread, it was a great bike; however, I wanted something more along the lines of a HD Street or Road Glide.. flat feet on the ground, music, navigation, wind protection, headed seat, grips and adaptive cruise control...
Not regrets.. still love the R18 B